


Redeemer

by BiReggie



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex is a stressed bean, Child Neglect, F/M, Gen, Good Boyfriend Willie, Good Dad Ray Molina, I love reggie, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, On Hiatus, Slow Burn Caleb Redemption, he starts out terrible, help them, long hiatus, luke puts his foot in his mouth, reggie is a sad puppy, reggie makes a deal with caleb, reggie this is not a good way to deal with your feelings, reggie whump, the boys need hugs, therefore he must get hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26740807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiReggie/pseuds/BiReggie
Summary: Reggie would do anything for his friends as long as they were happy. Even give up his freedom.Or; Reggie offers himself to Caleb to free Willie and Caleb sees a win. Nobody is happy.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie, Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie & Everyone (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie/? (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 131





	1. Deal With The Devil

**Author's Note:**

> Blame my friend Eisy. Anyway I don’t own Julie and the Phantoms. I’m just playing with the characters. 
> 
> Anyway, here’s the slow burn Caleb redemption fic nobody asked for. 
> 
> Featuring; Luke and Alex on war paths. Willie wondering how he got caught in this mess and Reggie making dumb undead decisions.
> 
> Mind the tags and oh! I got a plan but there’s a 90% chance this will deviate from what I want to do *shrug*

Reggie was a ghost on a mission. It felt weird to stand in the Hollywood Ghost Club. He felt eyes on him. Now, usually, Reggie loved the attention he thrived off of it, but not the attention he was getting currently. He vaguely feels like a bug under a microscope. He didn’t like it, not one bit.

With a bit more urgency he heads to the bar. He wonders if he has lost his mind. The answer was probably. However, he had to do this.

Willie was a cool guy and Alex absolutely adored him and Alex deserved happiness. Then there was Luke and Julie; they all had their happy ending. All of them except Reggie and if he could guarantee his friends a happy ending then that was good enough for Reggie. 

This would be his happy ending.

Shaking his head slightly he pulls himself out of his thoughts. It would be bad to spiral right about now. With newfound purpose, he strides his way over to the bar. The bartender looks bored and she probably is but when she notices him. She eyes him suspiciously.

“You got guts kid. Once people get out of here they don’t come back.”

He smirks in response (or at least he hopes it’s a smirk), “What can I say. I like to live on the edge.” She gives a short bark of laughter.

“Well, ain’t you the bee's knees?” She studies him and a glance down at her name tag tells him her name is Beth.

“I always try Beth. Can you get me, Caleb?” She glances at him. Then gives a quick nod. 

“Sure, I’ll be back in a second.” She snaps her fingers and a black-haired man hurries forward, “I’m going to find Caleb, Leo. You're in charge.”

With that, she was gone. Reggie feels awkward sitting there. Most people leave him alone. A few brave souls wander over to him and sit down next to him. However, nobody talks. Reggie finds he doesn’t like that. He loved social interaction. 

Finally, it took hours (it was fifteen minutes actually so basically four hours for Reggie), Beth returned. She hurries behind the counter and Caleb is there. As usually he is dressed to the nines. He had forgone his top hat and his blue eyes had a certain cold look to them. A shiver travels down Reggie’s spine. 

He beacons Reggie to follow him and Reggie does. Stopping at Caleb’s office. Reggie gingerly sits down. He’s studying Reggie critically.

“What are you doing here?” Reggie straightens up and dives in. Here goes nothing.

“Let Willie go.” Caleb sneers at him.

“And why exactly would I do that?”

“Because I have a better offer for you.”

“I highly doubt that but continue.”

“Myself.” Caleb brings his head back and surprises him with his features for a split second. He quickly schools them but Reggie inwardly celebrates at the crack he managed to put on Caleb’s mask. 

“I’ll have to think about it. Come back here tomorrow. We’ll talk more.” Reggie stared blankly at the other man.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why?”

“I have a show to get ready for and I’m sure your friends are waiting for you. I’ll ask why tomorrow but I think I know. You're always the last friend to talk with. The clown. And despite how your friends treat you. You would do anything for them. I bid you adieu Reginald. Come here when the girl, Julie is it? Heads to school.” Reggie gives a swift nod and he leaves the room. 

Caleb sat behind his desk for a while. He had a show of course but didn’t everybody love it when he was fashionable late? (That was a trick question and even if they didn’t Caleb didn’t care. His show, his rules) 

Reggie had broached a very interesting deal. However, he was weary to let Willie go. True Willie had already been used to the best of Caleb’s ability and now that he was (and oh, how Caleb sneered at the thought of it) in love (ugh teenagers). 

It was about the power but with Reggie taking up Willie’s spot.

. . .

Well, it broached a new avenue for Caleb. With Reggie being one of the few ghosts who could be seen by lovers when he played. He would have preferred to have all the boys but Caleb would take what he could get.

They acted like Reggie was the comedian of the group but Caleb saw the truth. He was the soul and once you get the soul, everything else would fall into line.

Then there was the delightful concept of the band breaking and a fitting punishment for Willie (to be free but costing Alex the closest thing to family he had). Yes, Caleb could make this work. 

  
  



	2. Is It Wrong For Me To Take Off This Mask?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke stresses and certain comments fly out of his mouth before he thinks. Alex is angry and Reggie visits his sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *staggers in hair frazzled* It’s here! Sorry for the lateness! I know I said a week-two ish time. And like it’s been two weeks. This is like a bit of a mess. I just kinda threw stuff at the ceiling like spaghetti until something stuck. But I *assure* you everything that happens in this story escpically the last part is important to the over arching storyline. 
> 
> Side note. I am blown away with the responses for this silly little fic of mine! 
> 
> I’m so grateful for you all! Onto more serious business.
> 
> Warning for this chapter; Luke is a tad OOC, there’s an instance if the word hell and mentions of a drunk driving incident. If you want to skip that part just skip the last paragraph! Also we touch briefly on Alex’s anxiety and how it’s a complete pain for him. And Reggie’s parents where crap but we has a fandom already knew that tbh

Luke was in a mood the next morning and Reggie could tell from one look at Alex that the taller’s anxiety was currently being a bitch. Reggie flinches in sympathy. He might not have anxiety like Alex but he had his issues to deal with. He knew what it was like to wake up in the morning and not feel the energy to do anything.

Almost like you were drowning. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling but often Reggie could laugh it off (just smile and bare his mother had told him. Smile and bare. Boys don’t cry and they  _ don’t  _ feel like they were drowning in their thoughts).

Luke is furiously scribbling something in his notebook. He scowls angrily and his grip on the pencil is tight. Reggie is pretty sure he can see it breaking under the pressure Luke is putting on it. Alex catches Reggie’s eyes and shakes his head.

“He’s been doing this since one.”

“What were you doing at one Alex?” Alex shrugs slightly. 

“Thinking,” Translation Alex’s mind had proceeded to spiral into worse case scenarios and went from there. Leading to him having an existential crisis. Luke clenches his jaw tightly.

“Quiet,” And oh, okay. It was one of those writing processes. Reggie better treads carefully. Oh well, he would be gone, quickly checking the clock, about two hours seeing as it was five. He could do that. Just like when his parents were fitting. Keep your head down and wait for it to blow over. Or wait until it was an acceptable time to leave. 

He could do this. 

As it turns out, Reggie could not do that. The thing about Reggie is that he always has to be moving. It had gotten him a lot of trouble in school. Normally, the guys would be able to deal with it. However, like Reggie had previously stated. Luke was in a mood.

So, five minutes into Reggie’s tapping the older boy had rounded on Reggie. 

“For God’s sake Reggie! Knock it off! Can’t you do something useful?! You're always lost in thought or talking to stuff. It’s not fair! Not to me! Not to Alex! God, you can be such a burden sometimes!” Reggie reels back like Luke had slapped. And in a sense the other boy had. 

Reggie quickly poofs out. He had wanted to spend what might be his last day with the boys together. It didn’t look like he would have that luxury.

—————

Alex liked to think he had pretty good control of his temper. Sure he was sassy but he never truly got mad. At least he liked to think he never got mad. If anything he got passive-aggressive. 

However, when Reggie comes in looking kinda out of it. Alex’s gut knew something bad was going to happen. When Luke snapped. Alex badly felt a spark of irritation. Reggie had always been active. Not able to sit down for long periods and then hopping from activity to activity. Bass was the only thing he had stuck all the way through. Talking to Willie and Julie, Alex wanted to hit himself for not noticing the signs for ADHD. Though to be far nobody talked about it back then and they didn’t talk about it now but it wasn’t nearly as bad as when Alex was alive. 

When Luke claims Reggie is a burden to them. Alex is fuming. A part of him acknowledged he needs to head after Reggie but he needs to give Luke a piece of his mind first. Alex didn’t realize it at the time but that would be his third strike with Reggie.

“The hell Luke! What were you thinking? Does Reggie’s past mean nothing to you!” Luke blinks slightly and he’s calmer now and a look of horror etched across his face. 

A vindictive part of Alex is glad for it. Luke deserves that horror. He (Luke) turns to Alex and speaks up.

“Oh god, Alex. What have you done?”

“I don’t know.”

When Julie comes down. It's Alex and Luke talking with Reggie nowhere to find. Concern spikes for her and so forgets the reason why she came down (to shout at the boys because their argument had bled into the house and her dad was worried about it).

“Guys… where’s Reggie?” Her heart plummets and she knows something big is going to change. 

——-

Surprisingly Reggie doesn’t pop over to where his house used to stand. He found a long time ago where his baby sister was now loved. She had been five when he died. 

Now she was thirty and had five year of her own. 

It was so surreal. He sat down next to his nephew (named after him and god that made him cry). His sister was in the kitchen working on her newest book. One eye on her son. 

He heads over to his sister and starts talking. She can’t hear him but he needed to get this off of his chest.

“Hey, peanut. I just… I guess I couldn’t leave you again without saying goodbye. I know you can’t hear me but I, ah, made a deal with Caleb. Yeah, that Caleb. The one who tried to ghost kill my friends and me? It’s just Alex likes Willie so much and nobody really notices the bass player. Besides it’s not like I really provide anything to the band. Alex gots his drums, Luke and Julie write the music and they sound like angels. Nobody’ll really miss me. I just.. oh man this is hard. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love you. I love you so much.”

With that he gets up and kisses her forehead. True he goes straight through her. But his heart aches at the familiarity and before Reggie can be anymore selfish he moves from her. She shudders at the coldness. 

Stopping by his nephew. He puts his hand on the boy's head. God he wants to touch him. He wants to touch all of his family (well maybe not his parents), “be good for you parents Reggie. Don’t act like me when I was your age.”

With that he leaves and heads over to The Hollywood Ghost Club. He hopes Caleb has an answer. 

Emily Decker looks up and she feels a cold sense of dread fill her gut. Her nerves are on an all time high. She needs to call her husband. The last time she got this feeling her father had ended up dead from drunk driving. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter! We get a look at Caleb and his musings and he might have a heart (it’s simple making sure his assists are in their best shape). It’ll not be as long cause it might just be Caleb. If I can hang cuff Willie long enough to get a chapter out of him you might get him. Also, it’ll be a while to we pop back to Reggie’s POV.
> 
> These next two chapters deal with repercussions of Reggie’s deal and Luke’s comment.
> 
> Anyway! If you want more info about my writing process check me out on Tumblr!
> 
> Tumblr: asheryapal


	3. Author’s Note Please Read

Hey all, not a chapter, but I felt this is important. This will be going on hiatus for an unknown amount of time. Some stuff has happened that I would instead not get into, and I’m scared. My mind isn’t on writing anymore. Please understand.  
  


It’ll be at the earliest the new year. When the next chapter comes out, I will delete this note.

Be safe, dear hearts, and thank you for understanding. 

**Author's Note:**

> So, yes as you can see this will be a *reeeeeallly* slow Caleb redemption fic but he gets there. Eventually. 
> 
> Next Chapter! Luke says some stuff he’ll come to regret and Alex can only watch as the train wreck happens.


End file.
